Britain has announced that it is sending the Royal Navy aircraft carrier, HMS Invincible, to the Gulf.

George Robertson: "We are giving an unmistakeable signal" (2'22'')

It follows the decision of a UN weapons inspections team to pull out of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, after being denied access to suspect sites for the fourth day running.

HMS Invincible has been on station in the Mediterranean since mid-November and the decision to move the ship has been described as a "contingency" plan.

Captain James Burnett-Nugent, HMS Invincible (2'13")

The announcement was made by the Defence Secretary, George Robertson, who said that Iraq's continued obstruction of UN inspectors was a matter of "serious concern".

"We remain determined to see that the authority of the UN and the international community is upheld," he said.

"Saddam's track record clearly demonstrates that he only shows respect for diplomacy when it is backed by military strength and readiness.

BBC Correspondent, Mark Laity, says the pressure on Iraq is building (2'32")

"[And] in the circumstances, we have decided that it would be a sensible and timely precaution to move HMS Invincible and RFA Fort Victoria to the Gulf."

HMS Invincible, which carries 14 Navy and RAF Sea Harriers, will take at least five days to reach the Gulf.

Its deployment is likely to have an important political impact in demonstrating solidarity with the Americans at a time when the international response to Saddam is increasingly divided.
 

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